For my second cut lap and my hot coat, the tape that gets wet from the resin is leaving a sticky residue. I am using 3M masking tape from Home Depot. Should I switch to another type?
Also I used acetone to remove some of it and it’s not super effective. Will acetone screw up the lamination before the hot coat? Any suggestions of other ways to remove the sticky residue?
Thanks!
I found the blue painters tape to pull off way easier than reg masking - both 3m or scotch - average good stuff. The blue is about 4 times as expensive, but after going with the reg to save money and then having to scrap the funk… Another key is to pull the tape after gelling enough, but before the glue goes off. I’m working with epoxy - slow hardener - so I have to wait a while, but get a bit more window too pull in a timely manner.
Go to a store that caters to auto body work and buy either 3m 233+ tape…the green stuff or get Indasa MTW tape. These tapes are made for solvents and you won’t make a mess to begin with.
Pretty sure all the surfboard supply houses carry it too.
Don’t use Home Depot tape for cut laps, get the 233+ green tape, also now numbered 401 sometimes. Or original tan colored 233 tape, even better in my book. You can also try 501 but it costs a bit more. All those are made by 3M in USA or Canada.
Ps For ink type pinlines I find 3M yellow automotive tape works great, less crepe in the tape so seals against bleed under quite well, and is cheaper than 233/233+/401/501 in comparable widths.
I use the cheap stuff for cutlaps quite often - never have any issues.
On gloss coats where there is a long cure time and I forget to pull the tape early I’ll get residue. Wipe clean with acetone.
When I get stuck with only cheap tape I just use two layers…pretty much solves the problem.
And don’t leave it on for any length of time…get it off as soon as practical.
I agree, it generally only happens to me if my hot coat is a bit slow so it stays on too long and melts the glue. If it happens, a handy trick I found is to run another new layer of tape over the residue and then peel it off. The goo sticks to the adhesive of the new tape and it peels it off.
I only use that tape on the 2nd side of a host coat or gloss coat so you have a glossy surface to stick it to. If you use it on a lam or a sanded coat, it will most likely get gummy. It’s also good for taping down paper but would not use it for the edge o a cutlap